The power of believing in yourself

Dave Lefebre

July 2, 2014 by Dave Lefebre

My recap of the Walmart FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake has less to do with this particular event than it does a feat I consider to be one of the most amazing in modern-day tournament fishing – but I’ll get to that later.

As was expected, ledge fishing was the deal on Kentucky Lake. A few big bags were caught shallow, about 2 to 6 feet deep, but doing it two days in a row was not happening. The top 10 were all out off the bank somewhere and throwing the typical ledge-type baits: crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, big worms, drop-shots and the big spoon. The only real surprise was the size of the spoons a few of top 10 guys were turned on to. You can see and hear more about them by watching Rob Newell’s day-three Reeltime Report. I’d guess we’re about to see another industry boom.

Wesley Strader and Randy Blaukat proved that a monster bag could come from 3 feet or less. Each had more than 22 pounds on day two fishing shallow grass. Kentucky Lake is truly an amazing place, and the bass are literally everywhere.

Before the rules meeting, I was rigged with big Storm Pro Paddle Tail swimbaits, Rapala DT-16 crankbaits and Terminator football jigs. However, after the meeting I found myself with a horrible boat draw, so I re-rigged everything and even added a couple of spinning rods to the mix.

On the first morning, of course, my best schools were covered with boats, so I camped on two last-resort deep spots that were “open” for two days and fished as hard as I could. I culled up ounces all day long during both days. I had two great co-anglers, which was truly refreshing in such a stressful situation. It helped make this, the final qualifying event, much more pleasurable … thanks to them both.

Basically, I was making two exact casts with the little worm for hours and hours when the fish were biting, and then moving on top of them with the drop-shot when they were inactive. It was critical to be above the fish vertically with the drop-shot and tease them for several minutes to get them to bite – at least for me it was. I could tell when I marked a fish whether it would bite or not. It was a cool deal.

My stressful moments started at the pre-tournament meeting when I drew out boat No. 150, knowing that a top-30 boat number would make for a simple top-50 finish. A good boat draw in a ledge deal like this is so nice, but it never happens for me. Even so, I’m extremely thankful that I happened to find a couple of smaller schools in my two days of practice that were capable of producing enough weight for a $10,000 check. I worked hard to find those places, and it was a challenge mentally and physically. Thankfully it all worked out.

Speaking of challenges, there are two ways to face adversity of any kind, such as ­– in my case – a devastating setback at the first major tournament of the season. The way your season kicks off can set the tone for your entire year – for better or worse. If you start off with a top 10, you tend to create momentum, which can carry you to a great year and seemingly smooth Forrest Wood Cup qualification. A disastrous start can lead to a snowballing, downhill slide. Both scenarios are completely mental, and how we deal with such circumstances makes all the difference in fishing, or any other sport for that matter.

Of course I know this, but I still fell into the trap and let it consume me, unlike my good friend and fellow competitor Anthony Gagliardi. This relates to the miraculous tournament feat I mentioned earlier, but let me set it up first.

After a mechanical failure on the way to the day one weigh-in at Lake Okeechobee, I began the 2014 season with a big fat zero instead of the 15 pounds I had in the livewell. As a result, I finished 176th in that event, and my attitude took a serious nosedive. No chance at AOY, and a serious uphill climb even to qualify for the championship, which I inevitably missed. You’re always so excited when presented with a new clean slate, and I can’t describe how disappointed I was at Okeechobee in February.

What could be worse? How about being disqualified on a technicality and missing the first event completely? That’s what happened to Gagliardi at Okeechobee. Someone is always worse off than you, right? That’s what my mom always told me.

Statistically, Gagliardi has been one of the most consistent fishermen on the FLW Tour for several years, but what he accomplished this year is simply incredible, especially when you consider the circumstances involved. He finished 48th at Kentucky Lake and qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup on his home lake, Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C. Even more amazing, he finished the season with the exact number of points needed to make it – one less point in any of his five events and he would have been out.

In this game it’s all about attitude and believing, and Gagliardi’s achievement is an inspiration to me, and one I think should motivate all of us who fish tournaments. It seemed impossible, but he overcame the odds and accomplished something that is clearly one of the most incredible feats this sport has ever seen, especially with only five tournaments to work with. My year – along with a record of 11 consecutive Cup qualifications – is finished, but because of a superior mental attitude and a serious dose of belief in himself, my good friend Gags moves on to compete for a half-million bucks! Lesson learned.

Do You Really Need So Much Stuff?

Lures and clothes have a lot in common. Just like clothing evolves and new styles come out and old styles come back, so goes fishing lures. The difference between the two, however, is that you can outgrow your old jeans, but you can never get rid of your old baits. READ MORE »

July 22, 2015

Never Miss a Bass Again

Do you ever listen at the weigh-in at how many guys talk about all the fish they missed? I can’t accept that it’s part of the job at hand. It’s one of my pet peeves. Most of us would do much better if we would just ask the simple question “why?” In prefishing we have already done most of the hard work. During the tournament, a missed fish can’t be accepted. I consider it a good tournament when I come back to the ramp with no missed fish, regardless of my finish. How does that happen? It starts way before the tournament. READ MORE »

July 21, 2015

Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division Event Set For Lake Champlain

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (July 21, 2015) – The Rayovac FLW Series is headed to Lake Champlain July 30- Aug. 1 for a tournament presented by Plano when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers will take to the water for the second stop of 2015 in the Northern Division... READ MORE »

July 8, 2015

A Bass is a Bass, But Not Always

Amigos, as you may remember, we left the past blog with a big question mark on the well-known saying, “A bass is a bass, no matter what.” Well, it’s time to give you a different point of view. A lot of you, while reading these lines, might start questioning my ideas. READ MORE »

July 6, 2015

From Kayak to Bass Boat

Like many anglers, I am a fanatic about my equipment for the things I do. For example, I’m a four-time world champion whitewater kayaker and have won three of them in a boat of my design. I started Jackson Kayak to take kayak design to the next level and to do things that the bigger company I was working for wasn’t willing to do. I am also a long-time bass fisherman, which led me to fishing 2015 Walmart FLW Tour as a co-angler. READ MORE »

July 6, 2015

More Than a Fisherman

The competitive fishing world is a small one, and when narrowed down to the competitive bass fishing world, it is even smaller in the grand scheme of things. This, of course, isn’t to say that this small group doesn’t have an absolutely huge impact. It does. READ MORE »

July 1, 2015

The "No Excuse" Guide

Chatter can be dock talk, personal abusive talk, hater talk, fan talk and everything in between. The list goes on. I truly believe tournament fishing is all a mental game. I feel that the most successful anglers know how to tune it all out and fish in the zone. It is crucial to know how to tune out all the chatter and shut up and fish. READ MORE »

June 30, 2015

Missed Chances at the Finale

The final Walmart FLW Tour event on the Potomac River was a tough event for me. After one of the strongest practices I’ve ever had there, or anywhere, really, I drove home scratching my head. READ MORE »

June 16, 2015

My Lost-Fish Troubles Continue

Lake Chickamauga is loaded with big bass, and for the first time in three previous visits I felt really good after the practice period was over. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out for me, and I ended the event after day two by missing the top-20 cut by a mere 4 ounces. READ MORE »

June 4, 2015

Blaukat on Climate Change

As many of you know, for years I’ve been an outspoken voice on environmental issues. As a result, I’ve been celebrated by some and ostracized by others. But what some think of me being the messenger is irrelevant. It’s not about the messenger – as much as detractors try to make it out to be – it’s about getting the message out.
I want to start by saying that the debate of whether or not climate change is man-made is over. It’s real, and it’s right here in our faces. READ MORE »

May 28, 2015

Running a College Club

The sport of college bass fishing is growing at an incredible pace. During my freshman year (2011-2012), tournament fields were limited to 50 anglers, and boats were supplied by Rayovac FLW Series volunteer competitors. During the end of my senior year this season, field sizes grew larger at every tournament, and we saw more colleges providing boats for student anglers – signs of growth for sure. READ MORE »

May 28, 2015

Blog: I’m Hooked

When I was 10 years old I could only dream about being a professional fisherman. I would spend all my time outdoors playing sports, hunting and fishing. Then, in high school, I competed in my first bass tournament and I was hooked. From that moment, my goal was to become a professional angler some day. Now, almost three decades later, after much hard work and dedication I’m competing in the 2015 Walmart FLW Tour. And I’m more excited than ever. READ MORE »

May 26, 2015

Blog: The First Time

This begins a series of blogs by Walmart FLW Tour co-angler Jaime Luengo of Mexico City. He joined the circuit in 2005 and has three top-10 finishes to his credit. Luengo is the author of La Magia de la Lobina Tecnicas Avanzadas, a book on bass fishing techniques, and is host and producer of Nuestra Pesca, a television series available on all cable stations in Mexico. READ MORE »

May 19, 2015

Missed Opportunities at Beaver Lake

Blog: What Might Have Been at Eufaula

Lake Eufaula is in the books, but ever since the tournament I haven’t slept very well. If you know me, you know I just “love” losing fish, but I think this latest event was the worst of my career. I finished 12th, which isn’t so bad, but the “what could have beens” got me again. On the last day of practice, I caught nearly 30 pounds, including one around 10 pounds and a 7 1/2-pounder, making it a day I’ll never forget. READ MORE »

May 13, 2015

Blog: Frogging of a Different Kind

As a bass fisherman, I have a special feeling for that time of year when I can start fishing a frog again. I’m not sure if the rush of adrenaline I feel is from that first explosion when a bass crashes the frog, or the anticipation of it. Whatever it is, I love it! READ MORE »

May 6, 2015

Blog: Make a Plan and Work the Plan

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: I’m bombarded with an array of emotions and a new to-do list every day. I’m not good enough. I don’t have the money. Make a Facebook post. Call mom. I don’t have enough time. I’m too tired. I’ll be treated poorly. Rig rods. Do sponsor work. People won’t like me. My son will miss me. I’ll miss my family. READ MORE »

April 24, 2015

Blog: East vs. West

I’m not going to say the West is better than the East, or vice-versa. However, I am going to say that where fishing is concerned, there are some distinct differences between the two. The list is long and I’m sure that you can think of many additional differences, but here are a few things I have found that separates the two locales. For the purposes of this blog, let’s make the dividing line the Mississippi River although I think we should include Texas with the East. READ MORE »

April 21, 2015

Blog: The Bucket List

I lived my first 25 years in the Midwest, and I used to get horrible cabin fever this time of year. Sitting in front of a television and watching Jimmy, Hank, Roland and Bill catch monster bass on a spinnerbait on every single cast only made it worse. READ MORE »

April 15, 2015

Blog: Back in the Groove

It feels good to be in full swing of the tournament season again. We just finished the second stop of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lewis Smith Lake, and it was an excellent event. READ MORE »